By Stephen Smoot
One of the great ongoing stories of the year in the upper South Branch watershed has been the incredible success of Pendleton County varsity athletics. In the fall, the football team earned a trip to the playoffs and enjoyed a deep run. The volleyball team also made states, as did girls’ basketball and cheerleading.
And, of course, the softball Wildcats whipped every opponent they faced in Class A all the way to a state title.
Other squads with less experience, but no less determination fared well. The wrestling team in its first season took major steps forward.
And the girls and boys track squad enjoyed the kind of year that can serve as a foundation for growth and success in years to come.
Coming off a strong performance in the Potomac Valley Conference events, where head coach Christopher Wilburn received a conference coach of the year honor, the Wildcats went to Charleston in great position to post strong performances.
On the boys’ side, two of the most prolific performers were seniors Gabe Harvey and Sawyer Apple. In the 400-meter race, Harvey placed fifth with a time of 51.95a. He earned eighth place in both the preliminary and final 200-meter races with a finals time of 23.90a.
Apple, who had dominated the region in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles all season long, took fifth against the best in the state with a time of 16.09a in the former and third place in the latter with a time of 40.96a. He also took fifth in the high jump at 5-08.00
Thunder Gill ran for a 2:10.34a in the 800-meter race
Pendleton County’s entry into the 4×400 relay placed 10th in a field of 16. The squad of Harvey, Logan Fisher, Apple, and Cayson Armstrong timed at 3:46.69a. The 4×800 team of Armstrong, Gill, Titus Nulph, and Sam Eason took 11th in a field of 14 with a time of 9:23.53a.
The girls also saw strong performances as they competed with the best in the Mountain State. In the 4×200, the team of Arianna Alt, Aubree Keiter, Autumn Lockard, and Emma Hartman raced to a 2:20.13a time and finished 13 of 16 teams.
In the 4×800 relay race, the squad of Laney Sites-Woods, Allison Reuss, Shayne Clutter, and Callie Dunn scored a 11:40.45a and placed 10th, outpacing regional rivals East Hardy, Moorefield, and Pocahontas County in the process.
Wilburn gave significant credit, as he had all year, to his band of seniors. He said of the group of boys and girls that they “did a pretty good job of calming everyone down, keeping them reigned in.” Though, outside of relays, more of an individual sport, track and field athletes benefit from the mentoring of more experienced teammates teaching them the nuances of how to succeed or tempering their emotions before competition.
“Laney Sites-Woods was the coach at times,” said Wilburn, who then added that she “kept them focused on the task at hand.” He also credited Harvey’s positive influence on younger teammates.
Wilburn sees this season as significant, not just for the success earned, but the foundation built for next year. A number of younger competitors saw action at the state level, honing them both mentally and physically to take the next step, next spring.
